Multifunctional switch

• US 6,953,900 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2002
• Issued: 10/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (Aptiv PLC)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (Aptiv PLC)
• Inventors: Sottong, Sascha
• Primary Examiner(s): Enad, Elvin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Klaus, Lisa
• Application Number:
  US10/478,091
• Publication Number:
  US 20040144628A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,250 Days
• Field of Search: 200/5.A, 200/5.E, 200/5.R, 200/4, 200/18, 200/6.A, 200/329, 200510-520, 200/85.A, 200/336, 200/17.R, 200/277, 200/11.E, 200/11.TW
• US Class Current: 200/5.00R
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0228 Hand-activated mechanical switches B60N2/0229 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 1/16 by rolling; by wrapping; Roller or ball contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 19/585 provided with printed circuit contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2237/002 Bell crank
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2300/008 Application power seats
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 25/002 having an operating member rectilinearly slidable in different directions
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 25/008 Operating part movable both angularly and rectilinearly, the rectilinear movement being perpendicular to the axis of angular movement

Abstract

A multifunctional switch, especially a keyed seat adjusting switch, includes an actuating element which is positioned in a rotational manner and can be displaced in a crosswise manner in a housing which has associated switch contacts for acting on connection contacts and in which the switch contact associated with the rotational movement is integrated. A reversing lever co-operating with actuators and positioned on the housing side, is associated with the actuating element for each of its displacement directions in order to act on the corresponding switch contacts. The actuating element co-operates with the reversing levers by means of an axial guide flange.

Claims

1. A momentary-contact switch, comprising:

an actuating element arranged in a housing and adapted for turning and transverse displacement relative to said housing, wherein the actuating element cooperates with a first and second switching contacts for acting upon terminal contacts, and wherein said a first switching contact is assigned to the turning motion, and wherein said a first switching contact is integrated with the actuating element,

a plurality of guide levers supported on the housing, wherein the plurality of guide levers cooperate with a plurality of actuators and wherein said guide levers are assigned to the actuating element, wherein said guide levers act upon said second switching contacts, and wherein the actuating element cooperates with said plurality of guide levers by means of an axial guide projection.

2. Momentary-contact switch according to claim 1, wherein the first switching contact, which is integrated with the actuating element, is realized in the form of a contact roller that is supported in spring-loaded fashion a side of the actuating element that faces the housing and wherein the roller acts upon strip contacts of a torsionally rigid printed-circuit board that contains said terminal contacts.

3. Momentary-contact switch according to claim 2, wherein the printed-circuit board contains depressions for engaging contact projections of the contact roller.

4. Momentary-contact switch according to claim 2, wherein the contact roller passes through an intermediate ring that carries at least one spring-loaded catch sleeve, wherein said catch sleeve cooperates with a cam plate on an end surface of the actuating element.

5. Momentary-contact switch according to claim 4, wherein the printed-circuit board is held in the intermediate ring by a carrier plate with clip arms that cooperate with the actuating element.

6. Momentary-contact switch according to claim 5, wherein the carrier plate contains projections that pass through a wall of the housing and engage with corresponding recesses of a mating plate without rotational play.

7. Momentary-contact switch according to claim 6, wherein the mating plate contains a cylindrical guide projection that points in the direction of a base member and movably engages with a slot of a holding plate.

8. Momentary-contact switch according to claim 7, wherein the holding plate overlaps the mating plate and is supported on the housing movable in a direction perpendicular to the slot.

9. Momentary-contact switch according to claim 7, wherein the guide levers are formed at an angle and are pivotably supported in a carrier that is fixed on the housing, wherein one leg of each guide lever joins a guide projection of the mating plate and another leg of each guide lever lies on one of the plurality of actuators.

10. Momentary-contact switch according to claim 9, wherein the guide levers contain opposing pivot projections on corner points formed by said legs, wherein said pivot projections overlap assigned pivot pins of the carrier.

11. Momentary-contact switch according to claim 9, wherein some of the legs of the guide levers which are assigned to the guide projection of the mating plate lie in recesses of the carrier.

12. Momentary-contact switch according to claim 9, wherein some of the legs of the guide levers which are assigned to the actuators lie in recesses of the actuators.

13. Momentary-contact switch according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of actuators are held between prestressed domes of a switching substrate that contains the switching contacts and legs of the plurality of guide levers.

14. Momentary-contact switch according to claim 13, wherein a base fixes a contact plate relative to the switching substrate and presses the domes with the actuators lying thereon against the legs of the plurality of guide levers with a certain amount of prestress, wherein the switching contacts accommodated in the domes come in contact with terminal contacts of the contact plate when the guide levers are pivoted.